The present disclosure relates to a connecter which is used as a medical tool.
An infusion set for injecting a drug solution into a patient has been widely used as a medical tool. In the middle of the flow path of the infusion set, a flow path for injecting other drug solutions may be further connected using a pair of connecters. When such an additionally connected flow path is no longer required, the additional flow path is separated by disconnecting the connecters.
In this case, regardless of whether or not the connecters are connected to each other, it is important that the inside of the flow path is not contaminated with bacteria and the like. For example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-2000-107300, a technology is disclosed in which, by providing a valve in each connecter and keeping the inside of the flow path from being exposed to outside except when the connecters are connected to each other, the inside of the flow path may be inhibited from being contaminated with bacteria and the like.
However, in the connecters of the related art, including the connecter of Japanese Patent Publication No. JP-A-2000-107300, if a connection between the connectors is achieved using a certain operation (for example, ‘push’, ‘twist’, and the like), a disconnection of the connecters is also achieved using that same operation (for example, ‘pull’, ‘twist’, ‘push button’, and the like), and there is a problem that disconnection of connectors is likely to occur in unintended situations. For example, disconnection of connecters may occur by pulling a tube connected to the connecters, for example, by tossing and turning, and other movements of a patient.
In addition, it is also possible not to make the connecters disconnectable from each other. However, in this case, the connection operation is complicated, and this is not practically preferable.
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention have been made in view of such problems, and aim to facilitate connection between the connecters and to reduce possibility of disconnection between the connecters in unintended situations.